By NYU Staff

As more and more traditional media outlets lean on their online counterparts, some others are moving towards print in spite of the ubiquitous idea that print is dead.

Electronic readers are the rage and increasingly accepted into the fold of journalism, but there are some Web sites and cable networks looking to revert back to print, perhaps because of nostalgia, perhaps because it may still be profitable.

The old days of printing newspapers...

Amazon.com’s top item is its Kindle, and news agencies from News Corporation to Hearst are cooking up their own electronic readers to compete with the Kindle. Meanwhile, magazines and newspapers are bleeding red, the push for Web sites and e-readers and all things digital, it seems illogical to start a print publication after having a successful online outfit.

But that doesn’t stop places like Politico.com and CNBC from venturing into the world of magazine publishing.

A producer at CNBC said he sees CNBC cashing in on its loyal viewership by printing a magazine akin to the Bloomberg financial magazine. Though the idea is facing internal debate, enough people at the top see it as a potentially profitable venture.

One casualty of the demise of the online advertising model was the now-defunct Conde Nast Portfolio. The magazine, started with $100 million, a former star Wall Street Journal editor, Joanne Lippman, and a dream of an aspirational business magazine, failed in less than two years. Even a magazine with the Conde Nast imprint and an incredible budget couldn’t weather the storm. But that was a new publication, without the viewership of say, a CNBC or the political following of Politico.com.

CNBC is still banking on its cable programming for the bulk of its revenue, although there’s an increasing focus on TV viewers moving to the Internet for entertainment and news.

As of September 2009, a mere 2.5% of television viewers watched linear television online, although “some news segment might be the exception,” said Matthew Harrigan, media analyst at Wunderlich Securities, Inc. “People are still watching their five hours of television the plain vanilla way, and television networks are still profiting from that,” he added.

The question about how to monetize online content, whether it be written word or video, is still evading those in charge of news networks, however.

“No one has figured it out yet,” said Mark Stein, former managing editor of Portfolio.com. “The person who says they’ve figured it out is either crazy or delusional.”

So far, Politico.com has gained some traction with print readers, allowing the site to gain popularity, especially during the Obama campaign, in order to have a ready-and-willing audience.

The key to its success is its niche status. The magazine focuses on three core areas, all from the perspective of Washington insiders: the politics of Capitol Hill and of the presidential campaign, and the business of Washington lobbying and advocacy.

But this doesn’t mean that the reverse trend towards print isn’t without its detractors.

The cost of pulp alone has increased 30% over the four years, although it has plateaued in the past 18 months, according to analyst David Miller of Caris & Company in New York.

“If that weren’t enough, CPM is way down and venerable newspapers like The New York Times have become junk bonds,” he said.  “The outlook is less than sanguine for anyone looking to rely solely on print. All these companies can really do is try to spot trends and block and tackle on expenses.”